Fashion Designs by Tina Leser in the 1940s

Tina Leser was born Christina Wetherill Shillard-Smith on December 12, 1910 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a child Tina traveled with her family around the world to faraway places such as Asia and Africa. She studied art, design, painting and sculpture at university in Philadelphia and Paris.

Fashion designs by Tina Leser in the 1940s

In 1931, Tina married Curtin Leser from whom she took the name under which she designed. They divorced in 1936 and she eventually remarried James Howley in 1948.

Tina opened her first store in Hawaii in 1935 where she sold well made clothing that utilized local Hawaiian and imported Filipino fabrics. She moved to New York and opened her own company in 1941.

It wasn’t until 1943 when Tina joined the Edwin H. Foreman sportswear firm that she started to make a mark in the fashion world. She was known for her playsuits and resortwear and her clothing was influenced by many different locales around the world such as China, Guatemala, Hawaii, India, Japan, Mexico and Thailand.

In 1953, Tina left the Foreman sportswear firm and started her own company again. She designed swimwear for Gabor Swimsuits for awhile. She closed her business in 1964 but opened it again in 1966, and permanently closed her business in 1982.

Tina passed away in 1986. These glamorous photos captured portraits of classic beauties wearing fashion designs by Tina Leser in the 1940s.

Model in a bare bathing suit without straps or middle with a sheer wrap skirt by Tina Leser, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, December 1, 1944

Model wearing light blue wool jersey together with skirt of printed rayon damask, detailed with sequins, all from Tina Leser, photo by Constantin Joffé, Vogue, October 1, 1944

Bijou Barrington in bare-shouldershort dinner pyjamas of Celanese rayon by Tina Leser, gold kid belt by Schaffer, photo by Serge Balkin, Vogue, June 1, 1945

Marilyn Ambrose in a cabana dress of black and white rayon jersey, the printed leaves have sequins along the spines, by Tina Leser, photo by Kay Bell at the Camelback Inn, Arizona, Vogue, March 15, 1945

Model in stone-white rayon-jersey two-piece swimsuit with long wrap-around skirt for evening by Tina Leser, jewelry from Lampl, photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Harper's Bazaar, June 1945

Model in sun-suit of coarse white Mexican cotton penciled with green by Tina Leser, photo by Kay Bell, Vogue, January 15, 1945

Model is wearing strapless black wool jersey suit with matching head scarf as well as the bracelets, all designed by Tina Leser, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, 1945

Selene Mahri in a Greek-goddess bathing suit of rayon jersey by Tina Leser, photo by John Rawlings, Vogue, May 1, 1945

Selene Mahri in top and shorts by Tina Leser, photo by Constantin Joffé, Vogue, June 1, 1945

Dorian Leigh in sarong style dress by Tina Leser, photo by Nina Leen, November 1946

Model in dark wool jersey top and Batik cotton print by Everfast dersigned by Tina Leser for Saks Fifth Avenue, photo by Serge Balkin, Harper's Bazaar, January 1946

Model in two-piece dress, the skirt hanging on wide black failled band with smocked hipline, striped in blue, pink and white jersey by Tina Leser, photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Harper's Bazaar, August 1946

Model is wearing a high-waisted shirt-short with brief pants to match, designed by Tina Leser in balloon cloth, photo by Kay Bell, Vogue, June 1, 1946

Charlotte Payne is wearing a bathing suit by Tina Leser, photo by Philippe Halsman, Life, January 13, 1947

Jean Petit in a brash-red wool chinchilla swing-coat by Tina Leser, photo by Frances McLaughlin, Vogue, August 15, 1947

Model in a blue-and-white striped Guatemalan cotton beach apron worn over a one-piece blue jersey sun suit by Tina Leser, photo by John rawlings, Vogue, June 1, 1947

Marilyn Ambrose in a Dan River's silken chambray dress by Tina Leser, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, May 1, 1948

Model in shorts and pink scarf that can be tied into a strapless bra, by Tina Leser, photo by Richard Avedon, Bermuda, 1948

Jean Patchett in strapless navy-blue wool suit that buttons in the back worn with brief white wool sweater, both by Tina Leser, photo by Norman Parkinson in Jamaica, Vogue, December 1, 1949,

Playsuit designed by Tina Leser, photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe in the Bahamas, Harper's Bazaar, 1949